The world’s busiest airport is spending $30 million to make itself accessible to the world’s biggest airliner.

Hartsfield-Jackson International plans to widen taxiways and runway shoulders and make terminal improvements that will enable it to handle the Airbus A380 -- a double-decker widebody that can carry 400 to 525 passengers in typical configurations.

Korean Air is considering a handful of U.S. cities including Atlanta for service with the A380, a spokeswoman said.

Any airport that can handle a Boeing 747 already can handle an A380, according to Airbus spokeswoman Mary Anne Greczyn.

This is good news. Why shouldn't the world's busiest airport (who is also building a new terminal) not be able to handle regular flights from an A380? I could definitely see Korean Air and possibly even Air France flying it here someday.

"U.S. aviation regulators are streamlining flight routes around Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of an effort to save fuel and reduce delays at major airports across the country.

The new routes will cut miles flown each year by 3.7 million, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement today. That equates to a savings of 6.6 million gallons of fuel, or $17.9 million, according to FAA estimates.

“We’re creating satellite-based procedures that will transform our national airspace system, making it more flexible and decreasing our carbon footprint on the environment,” Michael Huerta, the agency’s acting administrator, said at a press conference in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport..."

For those of you who simply can't wait until the new International Terminal opens on May 16th...
From AJC.com

Quote:

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is seeking 1,500 volunteers to try out its new international terminal before the grand opening.

The airport plans an operational readiness test of the international terminal on the morning of May 2, two weeks before the terminal is scheduled to open on May 16. Plans are to simulate a day of operation and uncover any potential issues that may come up.

Those interested in participating must complete a questionnaire and return it to the airport by March 30. The airport said it will select volunteers by April 15 and notify them by e-mail. The questionnaire asks about willingness to take MARTA to get to the simulation, or to take a shuttle from the main terminal, rental car center or a hotel.

Those selected will be asked to bring at least two pieces of packed luggage to test out the baggage handling system.

Each volunteer will get an itinerary and script to follow, and afterward will be asked to fill out a survey evaluating the facility and giving comments. Those participating will also get a "small commemorative gift."

- It has fewer passengers and is designed to make direct point-to-point routes across the globe more feasible (A380 has much shorter range).
- It has bigger windows and operates at a higher internal cabin pressure, so it should be more comfortable.
- It is more fuel efficient that just about any commercial planes out there today.

Don't get me wrong--I'm definitely excited to see a gargantuan Korean Air A380 taking off out of ATL too!

Damn, I didn't know the 787 had a much larger range. This is great news for Atlanta and correct me if I'm wrong but this would be the first new international passenger airline to Atlanta in twenty years probably. It will be interesting to see how the route performs.

Actually I was wrong about range; they are close to one another (depends on specific model of airplane which is longer). I seem to remember someone expressing doubt about the Atlanta - Seoul A380 route due to the range, but it appears to be well within range of the aircraft.

Not that ATL - ICN is a short flight by any means; I think for a while Atlanta was the longest route served by Korean Air or might still be, which is kind of crazy.

But the fact that an airplane that holds ~250 passengers can make those distances is pretty cool (777s hold 300-400 passengers, and A380s and 747s hold 500+); it means global airlines will be able to reach out to more individual destinations from their hubs, such as what Qatar is doing. I agree it's awesome to have foreign-flagged airlines. Atlanta has so few, with just about every route being utterly dominated by Delta. Qatar has a huge route network and will no doubt be a fantastic option for going to India or the Middle East.

Because the shuttle bus has only 14-seat but, it was too small. They need to orders new 40-foot buses. Because it was too many passengers who waiting to get on the shuttle bus back to main terminal. They need to bring a larger new shuttle bus from International terminal to domestic terminal.

“It just seemed like an overly onerous process,” said Tom Cooney, of Dunwoody, who waited in line for a shuttle for about 25 minutes when he arrived from London on Saturday.

Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson International acknowledge some glitches -- including using 14-passenger shuttles that are proving too small -- and say they are adding vehicles and considering bigger ones to shorten lines.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is seeking approval for a multi-million dollar contract for a major overhaul of roadways leading up to the domestic terminal.

The Atlanta airport is seeking Atlanta city council approval for a contract worth up to $48.5 million with a joint venture including Thrasher Contracting and C.W. Matthews. The C.W. Matthews/Thrasher joint venture was the lowest eligible bidder for the project, which will be funded with passenger facility charges.

The goal is to widen roadways, improving weaving conditions, avoid backup, blockage and delays, separate conflicting traffic and improve signs, among other improvements to the road network between Interstate 85 and Camp Creek Parkway on the north and Riverdale Road on the south. The airport has said it expects to begin construction in the summer and to finish within two years. It will include new bridges, pavement, walls, lighting and signs and will relocate the airport entrance at Riverdale Road.

The airport said the work will be phased to maintain the current number of traffic lanes along the entire roadway system so traffic can continue to move to and from the terminal during construction.